American scientists from the State University of New York at Buffalo have developed and field-tested a new device called a penetrometer to assess the viscosity of lava. The results of the research were published in the scientific journal magazine Review of Scientific Instruments (RSI).
To test the equipment, the team had to go on an expedition to the active volcano Litli Hrutur in Iceland.
Measuring the viscosity of the lava is necessary to determine the flow rate. However, this information is very difficult to obtain due to the igneous nature of the material; the temperature of molten rock in the volcanic interior exceeds 1000°C.
Most studies of magma viscosity are conducted in laboratory settings, where scientists can create their own lava. While such experiments provide important insight into how a lava mass might behave in nature, they do not recreate all the conditions of an actual eruption.
The team designed a device that resembles a long lawn mower.
A lava penetrometer works by measuring the amount of force the tool must apply to press into the lava, as well as the time it takes to reach a certain depth. These two properties, force and displacement, determine the viscosity of the surrounding material.
Measurements in Iceland showed a wide range of lava viscosities from 300 to 34 thousand pascal seconds over the temperature range of 1148 to 1165 °C.
According to the authors of the development, their invention will allow us to collect new data on volcanic activity in different parts of the world.
Earlier scientists was created Artificial intelligence to accurately predict volcanic eruptions.